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Being an Omega was never easy because at a particular time, Omega would go into heat. The heat would make their mind become hazy and desire to be with any Alpha they saw. If that Omega was lucky, they would find a suitable mate; unlucky ones would have to suffer for the rest of their life.
Venti sighed; that was why he agreed to become Morax's mate since Morax was someone he trusted wouldn't use his Alpha instincts to give him orders. Moreover, Morax also needed an Omega to help him through the rut, so the two naturally came together. Venti didn't mind being an Omega. To him, it didn't matter whether you were an Alpha or a Beta; it was all the same to Venti. Because what Venti cared about was their willpower, their soul, not gender.
Venti's eyes looked at the trembling Omega behind him. Unexpectedly, while he was walking around Mondstadt to find new stories, a group of Alphas was acting rudely to an Omega. And since Venti couldn't find anyone nearby to rescue this poor Omega, he had to do it himself.
"Gentlemen, can someone please tell me what happened?" Venti smiled, voice lively and playful as usual.
"An Omega? It looks like today's a lucky day." A man smirked while holding a rope.
"His appearance is also delicious; his price will be higher than that Omega."
Venti watched them exchange. So they were human traffickers; this seemed to be a job for the Favonius Knights. So Venti didn't need to go easy, just caught them all and gave them to Diluc, then after that, he could return to be a carefree bard.
Summoning blue winds that lured all of the rude Alphas inside, Venti eased his power to keep them from dying. He contentedly watched the Alphas lie unconscious on the ground when he finished. Even without Gnosis, his strength was still far beyond ordinary people, so it wouldn't be hard to take down some average Alpha.
Venti used ropes to tie up all the men and then used the wind to transmit the message to Diluc. Venti once again looked at Omega, who was staring at him with wide eyes; he smiled softly at the Omega and comforted him.
"Don't worry, I called someone to help; what's your name?"
Omega panicked, hesitantly said. "I-I'm Evan; thanks for saving me. And you?"
"Venti, but you don't need to remember or care about it. Do you have family around?"
"No."
"Oh"
This was a sad story.
Venti smiled wryly, his eyes showing sadness for this unfortunate Omega. He sat down on a nearby rock, summoned his harp, and played gentle music, hoping to make the other Omega relax. Venti watched Omega's shoulders slowly drop, his eyes closed peacefully. When the Omega truly calmed down, Venti put away his harp because his mission was done. Diluc would take the Omega to Mondstadt, where Venti hoped Evan would find a happy life.
"I have to go; you stay here. A red-headed man will come to help."
"Wait a minute; I want to go with you!" Evan took Venti's hand, those silver eyes staring at him shyly. "Even though I know you're an Omega but… I'll be your mate if you want!"
…
This was a turn that Venti couldn't have predicted; he froze as he looked at Evan, then sweated anxiously. If the old man heard it, he'd be a dead bird in bed!
"Sorry, but I have a mate." Venti smiled awkwardly.
"It's okay, I hear monopoly is also popular, so if Venti agrees, it should be fine."
Evan's hand this time wrapped around Venti's thigh, making Venti shiver because Morax's mark was on it. That mark could carry all emotions from Zhongli toward the other man. Venti didn't understand why he agreed to let Morax put a mark on him...Oh yes, because that mighty Geo Archon would throw a boulder at him if he disagreed! His mate could sometimes be possessive as hell.
"Evan, can you let go of my leg?" Venti gently suggested.
"But you'll be gone."
"Trust me; you will be better with other mates than me." Venti sighed, remembering the 500 years when he went to slumber, making Morax wait. He wondered why Morax hadn't found himself another mate because bonding with Venti was such a bad idea.
There was a moment of silence; Venti saw Evan didn't say another word and thought Even must have thought it clearly, but then a sweet scent hit Venti's nose, making him flinch. Venti knew what this was, an Omega in heat.
The fuck! It couldn't be that coincidental; Celestia must be playing with him right now!
Venti studied Evan blushing, gasping for breath, eyes watery looking at him. Venti was dumbfounded because he didn't have Omega supplements right now. He had already used one since his heat was coming soon. With this situation, his heat would come earlier.
He wanted to surprise Morax, but that plan fell.
"Help me, Venti, I'm hot." Evan said.
Venti tried to pull his leg back, preparing to use some tricks to put down the Omega in front of him. Still, Evan quickly pinned him down on the grass while he was distracted to think about how to use tender methods to keep Evan from getting hurt.
Holy shit! Luckily Morax wasn't here to see this.
Where the heck did Even find that strength, Venti swore this guy was trembling a minute ago!
"I'll make you comfortable, don't worry," Evan said shyly.
Screaming inside, Venti tried to appear calm on the outside, then hit Evan's neck with one hand, causing him to faint on Venti's body. Venti groaned; Omega was so bold these days. He was glad for that but would be happier if they weren't targeting him.
"What just happened?"
Diluc walked over and raised his eyebrows at Venti, who was lying on the grass with another man, Omega to be exact.
"It's best if you don't know." Venti groaned, gently pushing Evan to the side and straightening his clothes.
"In short, those Alphas are human traffickers, he's a poor Omega without a family that's been kidnapped, and now he's in heat."
Venti adjusted the white stocking on his right thigh because Evan had accidentally pulled it down while holding him. Looking at the orange light shining on his thigh, Venti cried because he knew today would be his death anniversary.
"It's rare that I see a lazy bard like you willing to work," commented Diluc, crossing his hand.
"Don't get used to it because I think I won't be in Mondstadt for a while after this."
"You mean?" Diluc frowned and stared at Venti, only to see the Ameno Archon dodging his face with a troubled expression.
"It means this drunkard will stay with me for a while."
A calm voice appeared, making Venti shiver like a rat had been caught; he looked everywhere as his body slowly inched behind Diluc.
"Don't hide, Barbatos. I see you, and even if you run to nowhere, I will still find you." The man with amber eyes looked at the small body lurking behind Diluc.
"May I ask who this is?" Diluc showed his displeasure at seeing this uninvited guest. The man also knew Venti was Barbatos, so this was possibly an acquaintance. Still, seeing Venti hiding behind his back, he had to get at least to know the mysterious man before handing over Venti to him. Venti was still their Archon, so Diluc needed to be cautious and saved Mondstadt some face.
"Sorry for the rudeness." The man sighed. "I'm Zhongli, that drunkard's mate."
Diluc spun around, looking at Venti as if the man was joking with him. But Venti was only blushing; Diluc immediately knew the man was telling the truth. So he did what everyone else does, shoving Venti to the front, leaving the alcoholic for his mate to deal with. Diluc had absorbed too many surprises today.
"Hi, Morax." Venti smiled, reaching out to greet his mate.
"I left you free for a while; then you started making trouble again." Zhongli raised an eyebrow.
"I need to make it clear that this time it's not me."
"I'll verify it for myself" Zhongli stepped closer to Venti, then used his pheromone to cover up the scent of Omega earlier. Slowly, Zhongli and Venti's scent blended and became more evident to Zhongli; it made Zhongli satisfied. But then Venti's pheromone unusually spared more and more, making Zhongli alert his instinct.
"Morax, I think my heat is coming," Venti wryly, knowing that he had just been pressed down by an Omega and used their scent to seduce him. Still, Venti was not an ordinary person, so he thought his heat would come after a few days. Maybe Venti got it wrong this time, and it was all because of Morax and his pleasant scent.
He waited for Zhongli to inquire, as he knew Venti's cycle very well. But Zhongli just picked Venti up in his arms and said. "Will Mondstadt be fine in a few weeks?"
Venti smiled softly, his face warm from the heat. "It will be fine because it has great guardians."
Zhongli nodded, transformed into a giant dragon then carried Venti back to their abode near the Stone Gate. Venti became more unable to keep his mind awake. After 500 years, he regained consciousness with his power leaked away. Then the Fatui took away his Gnosis, which made it more difficult for him to control his heat.
Their house was simple; it was small and placed high up in the mountains of Liyue to avoid the eyes of mortals. When Morax brought Venti into the room, everything remained unchanged; and still looking clean like new. The flower pot by the window was as fresh as the last time Venti had seen it. Venti smiled and looked at Zhongli with eyes that said he knew everything.
The big man flushed; he sat down beside Venti and held him in his arms. "Why didn't you find me?"
"There's still some work to do before I can be at ease with you, Morax." Venti leaned his head against Morax's hard chest, listening to the other God's heartbeat pounding furiously just for him.
"And you are no better. Fake your own death without telling me!" Venti pouted in anger; he still remembered the shock after hearing the news. Luckily, thanks to the mark on his thigh, Venti knew Morax was fine.
"That would be my fault." Zhongli sighed, reaching out to caress Venti, hoping to calm his lover a little. "I just don't want you to worry, and because of the contract with Tsaritsa, she doesn't allow me to speak."
Venti was still hugging his hand in displeasure, but Morax was always a person who took his contract seriously, so he understood why his lover didn't tell him beforehand. This could be the Cryo Archon getting back at him for when he stole a jar of wine from her.
Feeling Morax kiss his hair, Venti sighed; he couldn't stay angry with this man for too long. "I accept the apology, but I still don't like it."
"That's enough for me." Zhongli beamed then gently set Venti down on the bed, eyes lovingly looking at him. "And call me Zhongli. I'm not Morax anymore."
"Finally, my old man decides to retire" Venti grinned, his hands constantly playing with Zhongli's long brown hair, enjoying the warm scent of his Alpha. Zhongli's smell always made him comfortable.
Zhongli gently kissed Venti's lips; the tip of his tongue lightly touched that red lip to find entrance. Venti did not protest but opened to receive Zhongli. The two slowly immersed themselves in each other, from gentle to intense, making sloppy and sweet sounds echo in the room.
Venti felt too hot inside; his breath soon reached the limit. Zhongli parted, a silver thread connecting their lips making the atmosphere even more erotic.
Venti wrapped his arms around Zhongli's neck, whispering softly. "What do you think about having children?"
Venti felt the man above him stop, amber eyes looking at him in surprise. "Why all of a sudden?"
"Just feel this moment is perfect." Venti smiled, touching Zhongli's face.
Although Celestial still dominated Teyvat, Venti knew both of them would be okay because the world of God would end soon. When they both gave up Gnosis, the responsibility of running the country belonged entirely in the hands of its people now.
Zhongli's eyes clearly showed longing; Venti knew that his lover was also expecting a child of both. Now the opportunity came right under his nose, so Zhongli certainly wouldn't let Venti's heat go to waste.
The two began to exchange passionate kisses again, clothes gradually lying on the floor.
This will be a long week.
______
Several weeks passed, as Venti calculated, he had to leave Mondstadt sometime to deal with his cycle temporarily and helped Zhongli control his possessive instinct. Usually, Zhongli wouldn't be like that; he was fine and let Venti go everywhere he wanted.
Zhongli would not be upset much when his beloved talked or interacted with other people, but if Venti were in heat, Zhongli's possessiveness would be triggered by even the smallest things.
Zhongli was a perfect lover; he was always gentle and wise, did not restrain Venti's freedom, and understood Venti. Perhaps each dragon had a different nature; some would be possessive and brutal. Some were considerate and understanding, such as Zhongli and Dvalin.
Venti still couldn't believe that Zhongli would choose him as his mate out of all the Omegas the God had ever met. He treated Venti like a priceless treasure. And since hearing the news that Venti was indeed pregnant, he had become more pampered and caring. The thing Venti regretted was he couldn't drink alcohol; that was the only minus point.
Venti looked down at the small pump, which he smiled and caressed. Picking up the cup of tea Zhongli spent an hour preparing, he took a sip to enjoy it. Even though tea wasn't Venti's thing, he had to admit this tea was good.
"Speaking of which, we've never had a wedding," Zhongli suddenly spoke up.
This made Venti choked a little; he looked at Zhongli in disbelief. After all these thousands of years, his Alpha finally thought of this problem!? It's not that Venti didn't want a wedding. It's just too much work and stuff.
"If we have a wedding, how should we celebrate it, in Liyue or Mondstadt?" That was one of the reasons Venti didn't want to think about.
"We can have both."
This time, Venti looked at Zhongli like he was crazy. Organising the wedding twice? Zhongli didn't have Gnosis to create Mora anymore; where could they pull out that much money to hold the wedding twice!
Zhongli took Venti's hand, his eyes looking at him expectantly. "We will organize simply, without being too particular, a small party then inform everyone about the surprise."
He smiled sweetly, his hand stroking Venti's stomach. Venti couldn't resist his Alpha; looking at his puppy-eyes like he asked for a treat, he couldn't say no to him. Venti didn't know where Zhongli learned this from, but it worked.
"Fine, two SMALL weddings then."
Zhong eagerly hugged him in his arms, letting his Alpha scent cover Venti to show his excitement.
"Then we should go shopping for wedding clothes."
Venti had never seen Zhongli so happy since he agreed to be his mate. Before leaving the door, Zhongli had to mark him one more time. Venti's neck was a bit sore right now, but he obeyed and received the mark to comfort Zhongli.
Of course, if Zhongli could bite Venti, Venti could also mark Zhongli back. Not many Alphas would agree for Omega to sign them, only because Zhongli loved Venti too much, so he agreed. That's why Venti said he was too lucky.
Where could they have Mora? Zhongli said he has his way. During 500 years, Zhongli collected many rare gems, so exchanging them with the shop also got a vast amount of money. Venti has heard from Aether that his Alpha always took Childe's and his money to pay stuff. If both of them see Zhongli with massive funds right now, they must feel betrayed.
Although Zhongli said the wedding was simple, with Zhongli's nature, Venti felt that their marriage would also cost many precious things. Luckily, he stopped Zhongli just in time for their wedding invitations. Otherwise, Zhongli would have gone along with the shop owner to purchase many letters decorated with gold.
"What do you think about this menu?"
Venti viewed the dishes, and his eyes started to get dizzy when he saw the rare ingredients that only rich people would dare to touch. Venti cried; today was going to be a long day.
In the end, they had to invite Ganyu and Noelle because Venti no longer believed in Zhongli's concept of simplicity.
He touched his stomach looking at it, and whispered. "I hope you won't be like your father in the future; just be simplistic."
Although the wedding ceremony was simple, the preparation process was still complicated, especially when Venti sent invitations to the people he trusted in Mondstadt. They had a big surprise; even Diluc was shocked. And Jean and Aether seemed pleased to see the pile of wedding gifts from Morax. Why Aether was also pleased, he did not know.
But everything went into place; after more than a month of struggling, their wedding ceremony finally took place. First in Mondstadt, then in Liyue.
"Are you ready, Venti?" Jean smiled and asked. "I didn't expect that one day I would witness the wedding of Geo Archon and Anemo Archon; this is such a memorable moment."
"There's still a wedding ceremony in Liyue. You and them will be the ones to witness the marriage of the two gods on two occasions." Venti joked. He fixed the Cecilia crown above his head, despite being together for hundreds of years, but he is still nervous.
"That's right." Jean chuckled. "Let's get started; you can't keep your husband waiting any longer."
Jean stretched out her hand for Venti to take it; the two strolled into the aisle. Venti's eyes sparkled to see that everyone gathered; even Liyue's Adepti was present. Zhongli stood in the hall waiting for him in a white outfit that greatly enhanced his beauty.
His Alpha was really attractive!
"Nervous?" Zhongli asked gently.
"A little"
Venti took Zhongli's large hand and squeezed it tightly. Zhongli's eyes were only looking at him during the whole ceremony. To be stared at with such a passionate gaze, Venti could feel his face blushing. His Alpha rarely displayed his emotion too openly. Perhaps because it was their wedding, Zhongli decided to relax and show his undying love for him.
"May I ask who gave them baby clothes?" Aether was confused as he brought up the baby outfits among the wedding presents.
Everyone watched in silence and stared at it, then turned to look at Zhongli and Venti, only to see both burning and shy.
"Did Zhongli make Venti pregnant!?" Paimon spoke up in surprise.
The sound of someone's wine glass falling to the floor. Venti glanced at everyone's frozen eyes, especially Jean and Diluc, who looked like they had a heart attack. Well, this is also a way of informing people, just not as they planned.